It wasn’t until the bell for the last class rang that Gu Wan returned to the classroom with a dark expression.
She turned her head to look at Zhou Zhi, who was packing up her things, a flicker of resentment and unwillingness passing through her eyes.
She had heard everything clearly from the bathroom stall just now.
So it was true…
Ji Xuanxu really had noticed this Zhou Zhi. He was even willing to stand up for her.
Why?
Why… because she was pretty? Was she, Gu Wan, not pretty enough?
Or was it that Ji Xuanxu just preferred this innocent little white flower type?
After the students in the class gradually left, Gu Wan called out to Wu Ya.
Wu Ya’s expression was dazed, but she snapped back to alertness the moment she saw Gu Wan. In fact, a vague sense of dread stirred in her heart.
Sure enough, with only the two of them left in the classroom, Gu Wan spoke in a commanding tone: “Wu Ya, give her a little taste of color.”
She didn’t say a name, but both of them knew exactly who “her” referred to.
Wu Ya opened her mouth, resistance rising in her heart: “Wan-jie, but I don’t want to offend…”
She trailed off.
She didn’t want to offend Ji Xuanxu.
She had seen it clearly now—all that talk about “it doesn’t matter” and “I hate her” was complete nonsense.
Ji Xuanxu had even gone into the women’s bathroom. How could the relationship between those two be anything ordinary?
The words Wu Ya left unsaid struck directly at Gu Wan’s sore spot. Gu Wan barely managed to maintain her composure, and after a long moment, she let out a cold laugh.
“What? You’re afraid of offending Xu, but not afraid of offending me?” Gu Wan sat on the desk, legs crossed, looking down at Wu Ya with a darkened face.
Wu Ya was momentarily speechless.
Right.
She couldn’t refuse.
They were equally powerful, equally wealthy. If she didn’t do this, there would naturally be plenty of others willing to do it, driven by self-interest.
Gu Wan sneered.
See? She and Ji Xuanxu were fundamentally different from these ordinary people. They belonged to the upper-class circle.
By the time they graduated, these so-called good students among their classmates wouldn’t even be qualified to hold their shoes.
Zhou Zhi…
A transfer student from another province who didn’t know her place. Even if Ji Xuanxu had some feelings, the Ji family would absolutely never approve.
The sky wasn’t fully bright yet, but the sound of recitation already filled the entire teaching building.
Most people drifted through morning reading in a haze, only truly waking up after breakfast.
As Zhou Zhi followed the flow of people back to the classroom, the room was in a noisy uproar. Quite a few people were gathered around her seat, but when they saw her coming, they scattered in all directions.
Her seat happened to face the back door, so even without going inside, she could see the large patches of food stains left on the desk and chair.
The culprit, Wu Ya, sat in her seat, restless and uneasy, occasionally turning her head back to check Zhou Zhi’s expression.
She was scared…
Scared that this fragile-hearted transfer student would go jump off a building.
At least they were on the second floor.
Under Gu Wan’s urging, this was the warning method she had barely managed to come up with.
It was just a dirty desk and chair…
Zhou Zhi was so pretty—surely there were boys in the back row willing to help her clean up.
Zhou Zhi took a light breath, forcing down the irritation in her heart.
She still couldn’t help but let out a soft scoff.
She was a good student…
Zhou Zhi repeated it a few times in her mind and walked toward her seat.
It must have been chicken soup—brown broth with chicken bones, innards, and chili oil dripping down from the desktop, drop by drop, onto the floor.
The smell was foul and pungent.
“Zhou Zhi, class is about to start. You need to deal with this quickly.” The class monitor walked over from the front row, adjusted her glasses, and spoke in a low voice.
Her tone was flat, businesslike.
Zhou Zhi didn’t move. She lifted her gaze and swept a glance at Wu Ya.
Wu Ya immediately bent over, lowering her head, pretending to be frantically searching for something.
“Zhou Zhi, I’ll help you!”
A girl with a high ponytail walked over quickly, holding a roll of tissue in her hand.
It was Zhou Zhi’s dormitory head, Xie Jingwen.
Xie Jingwen had just reached out her hand when Zhou Zhi stopped her.
The young girl gently grabbed her wrist, stepping in front of her.
“Thanks, no need.”
Her cool voice was like snow on a winter night—falling, melting, with a hint of softness hidden within.
Xie Jingwen stared at the stiff curve of Zhou Zhi’s slightly upturned lips, a little dazed.
Having been roommates for over a week, she had barely heard Zhou Zhi speak.
The preparatory bell rang. In ten minutes, class would officially begin. The class monitor standing nearby let out a dissatisfied click of her tongue.
“Zhou Zhi! If you’re not going to clean it up, are you going to delay everyone’s class time?”
“Don’t be so dramatic. Stop making everyone accommodate you.”
The class monitor stood to the side, and seeing that Zhou Zhi still hadn’t moved, couldn’t help but urge her on.
Xie Jingwen frowned. She felt those words were far too harsh.
Before she could speak, Zhou Zhi, who was standing beside her, turned and walked out.
“Class is about to start! Where are you going?!” The class monitor cursed inwardly twice and blocked her way.
Wandering around outside the classroom at this time—if caught, it would deduct points from the class.
Liang Muye, sitting in the second-to-last row, couldn’t help but frown. He tugged at the class monitor’s hand and shook his head at her.
There was really no need to be so harsh with Zhou Zhi.
What if she was the type to hold a grudge?
The class monitor lowered her eyes to stare at Liang Muye, let out a cold snort, and her expression turned even uglier.
Zhou Zhi spoke calmly: “I’m going to find the homeroom teacher.”
“Shouldn’t this be reported?”
Was she supposed to just swallow her anger?
The class monitor’s face stiffened slightly.
She had long since categorized Zhou Zhi as one of those good-for-nothing students in the back rows. These people fought like dogs among themselves every day—would they actually think to go complain to the teacher?
“What use is finding the homeroom teacher now? Can she conjure up a desk out of thin air for you?”
After saying this, as if feeling her own words were too harsh and biting, the class monitor softened her voice: “Let’s talk about it next period.”
For a moment, the entire class fell silent.
There were those who supported the class monitor and those who sympathized with Zhou Zhi, but what did it matter to them?
The first lesson learned in senior year was: mind your own business and stay out of others’ affairs.
A trace of coldness flickered in Zhou Zhi’s dark eyes. She patted Xie Jingwen’s shoulder, signaling her to go back and sit down.
Facing the class monitor’s almost aggressive questioning, Zhou Zhi suddenly recalled what Wu Ya had said a few days ago, and her gaze casually swept over Liang Muye beside her.
After a moment, Zhou Zhi looked back at the class monitor. “Switch seats.”
With that, she left the classroom without looking back.
The class monitor stood in place, unable to stop herself from grinding her teeth, her face twisted with anger.
She was the class monitor!
She held considerable sway in the class. Even those good-for-nothing troublemakers in the back rows gave her face because of Liang Muye.
This Zhou Zhi…
Too infuriating!
Switch seats? What a fantasy. Seats weren’t something you could just switch whenever you wanted.
The homeroom teacher hated students who didn’t study and caused trouble all day. Going to find the homeroom teacher now would only earn her a scolding at best.
Serves her right.
“Yunqing, don’t pick on her.” Liang Muye stood up, leaned in, and frowned as he reached for the class monitor’s hand.
There was nothing between him and Zhou Zhi—he had explained this to Zheng Yunqing countless times already.
The class monitor sneered and shook off Liang Muye’s hand.
She knew it—these good-for-nothings were always fickle and quick to change their minds.